Trailer

ABSTRACT

A cargo container trailer has a generally rectangular bed mounted for rotating through 360* and is provided with means for receiving or discharging cargo containers over either end or over either side edge.

[ 51 July25, 1972 References Cited [54] TRAILER [72] Inventors:

SW Tm N" T" Am P" Sm L Mn.. TM SO DB m MM Um W 8 7 5 0 3 James R. Guyaux, San Jose; Donald Le Duc, Sunnyvale; Dean T. McDonald, San Jose, all of Calif.

Dioguordi........................2l4/38 A X 3,279,631 10/1966 McCartney............. 3,561,625 2/1971 [73] Assignee: FMC Corporation, San Jose, Calif.

Primary ExaminerPhilip Arnold A1r0rneyF. W. Anderson and C. E. Tripp [22] Filed: Oct. 21, 1970 ABSTRACT 21 Appl. No.: 82,670

A cargo container trailer has a generally rectangular bed I mounted for rotating through 360 and is provided with means [52] US. 193/36 for receiving or discharging cargo containers over either end or over either side edge.

...lB60pl/52 .2l4/84, 3s A; 193/35, 36;

[5l] lnt.Cl...............

5s FieldofSearch...................:::

104/35, 45, 47 6 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures PATENTEU I972 3,679,075

sum 1 or 5 INVENTORS JAMES R. GUYAUX DONALD LE DUC DEAN T. MC DONALD ATTORNEYS TIEL E PATENTEDJUL 25 I972 sum 2 or 5 PATENTED 3.679.075

sum 5 [1F 5 TRAILER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Various forms of trailers have been provided for transporting large containers between an airplane and a station in the terminal at which freight, baggage or the like is loaded into or removed from the containers. Since the cargo door of an airplane is elevated a considerable distance from the ground, it is necessary that a lifting mechanism be employed to transfer each container from the trailer to the airplane. Also, the container must be properly oriented on the lift mechanism in order that it can be efficiently moved through the cargo door. The bed of a lift mechanism is usually an elongated, generally rectangular member that is non-rotatable relative to the elevating structure of the lift mechanism and, therefore, it is necessary that the container be transferred onto the bed substantially in its final orientation. Some lift mechanisms are adapted to be loaded from the side while others are arranged to be loaded from an end. Accordingly, it is desirable that a trailer be capable of placing a container in the final, desired orientation while it is still on the trailer, and then delivering it over the end or over the side of the particular lift mechanism that is in use.

The patents to McCartney et al. US Pat. Nos. 3,233,761; Shaw 3,370,727; Herrmann 3,164,274; McCartney 3,279,631 and Frassetto 3,243,062 disclose carriers designed for transporting containers.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the present invention, a trailer is provided with a generally rectangular bed having rollers at each end and at each side for guiding containers toward or away from the central area of the bed. The bed is mounted on a turntable that is rotatable relative to a wheeled base so that the container can be oriented in any desired manner relative to the base. With this arrangement, the trailer can be manuevered to a position adjacent a terminal storage rack and the bed can be rotated to the most advantageous position for receiving the container. Then, if necessary, the bed can be adjusted relative to the base to the most advantageous traveling position. When the lift mechanism is neared, the bed is rotated, if necessary, to position the container in the correct orientation for transfer to the lift mechanism and into the airplane. The trailer is then positioned adjacent the side or end of the lift mechanism, as required, and the container is transferred.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a trailer having means for discharging or receiving containers over its side edges or over either end.

Another object is to provide a trailer having a turntable and improved means for selectively locking or releasing the turntable.

A further object is to provide improved limit bars for the side edges and ends of a trailer and means for releasing the bars to permit movement of containers onto or off the trailer.

IN THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a perspective of the trailer of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan of the trailer with the super structure removed to disclose the construction of the base frame.

FIG. 3 is a plan ofthe entire trailer.

FIG. 4 is a vertical section taken along line 44 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a schematic isometric of a portion of the deck of the trailer and various locking mechanisms.

FIG. 6 is a vertical section taken along line 66 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 is a vertical section taken along line 77 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged vertical section taken along line 8-8 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged vertical section taken along line 9-9 of FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The embodiment 10 (FIG. I) of the trailer of the present invention includes a wheel-supported base frame 12 having a forwardly projecting tongue 13 on which a tow bar 14 is pivotally mounted. A cargo support deck I5 is mounted on the base 12 for rotary movement, in a manner to be explained presently. The deck includes a plurality of caster wheels I7 which are rotatably mounted on the deck and provide a cargo support surface. A cargo container C (shown in phantom lines) can be moved onto or ofi' the caster wheels over transfer rollers 20 mounted on each side of the deck, over rollers 21 at the rear of the deck, or over rollers 22 at the front of the deck.

Vertically movable stop bars 24 are mounted at each side of the deck between the rollers 20 and the caster wheels 17 to restrict movement of a container on the deck, and similar stop bars 25 and 26 are mounted for vertical movement at the front and rear portions respectively of the deck to restrict movement of a container longitudinally relative to the deck.

The ability of the deck to rotate through 360 degrees, plus the provision of means for moving containers onto or off both sides, or off the forward or the rearward end of the deck,

makes it possible to load a container onto the deck from the front, rear or either side of the trailer and to discharge it in the desired direction and with the desired orientation. Thus, a container can be moved broadside onto the deck and discharged endwise in any of the four directions, or it can be moved endwise onto the deck and discharged broadside in any direction. In addition, if the container is brought in broadside, it can be discharged broadside, or if brought in endwise, it can be discharged endwise.

The base 12 (FIG. 2) comprises two spaced side beams 30 to which a pair of end beams 31 and 32, a central transverse channel 33, and a pair of transverse angles 34 and 35 are welded to form a rigid base frame. A ground wheel 40 is pivotally connected through a short axle to each end of each of the end beams 31 and 32. The wheels are simultaneously turned in a steering action by a conventional tie-bar and lever linkage 42 that is controlled by steering movement of the tongue 13 which is pivoted on end beam 32.

Four pulleys 43 are mounted on or adjacent the front beam 32 for guiding cables 44 of a conventional braking system. Four upstanding plates 45-48 are welded on the frame 12 in a generally circular pattern around a central ball-bearing unit 50, said plates providing four upwardly-opening notches 5l-54 that are oriented at substantially intervals around the circle. Similarly, four brackets 55 are welded to the base in a true circular pattern around the central bearing 50. Each bracket 55 rotatably mounts a roller 56, and the upper support surfaces of all four rollers are at the same elevation to provide a support surface for the deck 15 which, in effect, is a turntable that is rotatable about the central bearing 50.

The deck 15 comprises a circular support ring 57 (FIGS. 3 and 4) which has an angular cross-section that provides a horizontal leg 570 which overlies and is supported by the four rollers 56 of the base 12. The ring 57 supports a rigid 'frame which includes two spaced transverse beams 59 and 60 (FIGS. 3 and 4) that are inverted channels having bottom flanges 59a and 60a, respectively, welded to the upper surface of the ring 57. Six longitudinally-extending, spaced members 6la-6 l f are welded between the two beams 59 and 60 and a short transverse member 63 is welded between the innermost longitudinal members 610 and (LA second group of longitudinal support members 6lg-6lj are welded between the beam 59 and a transverse angle 65 (FIG. 4). A third group of longitudinal support members 6lk-6ln are welded between the beam 60 and a transverse angle 66. As seen in FIG. 4, the upper surfaces of the two beams 59 and 60 and the upper surfaces of the longitudinal members 6Ia-61n are flush, and the caster wheels 17 are secured to these upper surfaces.

A tubular shaft 68 is welded to the underside of transverse member 63 and extends downwardly into the central bearing 50 to provide the vertical axis of rotation for the turntable.

The deck 15 also includes a pair of rigid side angle members 70 and 71 (FIG. 6), that are secured on the upper surfaces of the transverse beams 59 and 60, and two end angle members 72 and 73 (FIG. 4) that are welded between associated ends of the side angles 70 and 71. The two sets of rollers 21 at the rear of the deck are supported between the rear angle 72 and a transverse angle 75 that is supported on the transverse member 65, and the two sets of rollers 22 at the front of the deck are supported between the front angle 73 and a transverse angle 76 that is supported on the transverse member 66.

The rotatable deck or turntable I is locked against rotation by a cylindrical bar 80 (FIG. 4) that is slidably journaled in two spaced vertical plates 81 and 82 which are welded to and depend from the transverse member 60. A coil spring 84 is disposed around the bar 80 between the plate 81 and a transverse pin 85 on bar 80, and is arranged to urge the bar 80 toward the right (FIG. 4) to position an end of the bar in one of the notches 51-54 in the upstanding plates 45-48 respectively (FIG. 2). When the bar 80 is disposed in one of the notches 51-54, the deck cannot rotate in bearing 50.

The bar 80 is withdrawn from the notches by means of either of two cables 87 and 88 (FIG. 5), each cable being connected to a plate-like lever 90 which is freely rotatable on the turntable shaft 68 and has a depending tubular support member 91 (FIG. 4) that rests on the upper surface of bearing 50. The cable 87 is connected to a lever 93 (FIG. 5) that has a tubular pivot shaft 94 pivotally mounted on a cylindrical rod 95 that extends between the side rail 70 and a plate 96 extending inwardly from the rear angle 72. To actuate the cable, the operator grasps a handle 97, that is connected to pivot shaft 94, and raises the handle. Upward movement of the handle 97 causes the upward movement of lever arm 93, effecting a pull on cable 87 to pivot the plate-like lever 90 in a counterclockwise direction (FIG. 5). As the lever 90 pivots in this direction, a cable 99 that is connected to bar 80, pulls the bar out of whichever notch 51-54 it happens to be in. The spring 84 resists this outward movement of the bar 80. When the deck has been rotated about its axis through 90, 180 or 270 as desired, the handle 97 is released and the spring 84 will slide the bar 80 into the notch with which it is then aligned.

The cable 88 is actuated to release the bar 80 by means ofa lever 100 that is identical in construction and operation to lever 93, but is oppositely disposed. Thus, the operator can release the bar 80 from its associated notch by manipulating lever 100 if he is adjacent the front of the trailer and by manipulating lever 93 if he is near the rear of the trailer.

The two stop bars 24 (FIG. I), which prevent the movement of the containers C off the sides of the trailer, are rigidly interconnected by two long levers 104. Each lever 104 is an inverted channel (FIG. 4) which has two spaced upstanding flanges 106 near its center that pivotally receive a pin I08 extending between posts 107 that project upwardly from a deck plate. Thus the stop bars 24 and the levers 104 provide a seesaw structure such that, when one stop bar 24 is swung upwardly, the other bar is swung downwardly to a point below the support surface defined by the caster wheels. When a stop bar on one side of the deck is in its lowered position, the container can be moved off the deck over the lowered stop bar. Each lever 104 is held in a generally horizontal position by two springs 110 and 111 (FIG. 6) each of which is disposed on a rod 112 depending from the lever. Each spring abuts a collar on the rod 112 and a plate 113 of the deck through which the rod slidably projects. The two springs are spaced equidistantly from the pivot pin 108.

As seen in FIG. 8, when a container C is in position on the trailer it overlies the upper end 1200 of an abutment member 120 which prevents raising of the adjacent stop bar. The abutment member is pivoted on a pin 121 which extends between two fixed, spaced plates 122 (FIG. 5) that are welded to the underside of the stop bar 24 and to an angle 123 (FIG. 8). A spring I25 is connected between the angle I23 and the abutment member to normally urge the abutment member to upright position. A handle 127 is pivotally connected to the abutment member and it normally underlies a handle 128 on the stop bar. To collapse the abutment member and allow the stop bar to be raised, the operator grips both handles I27 and 128 and draws the handle 127 upwardly to the phantom line position of FIG. 8, thus causing the abutment to swing downwardly, removing the upper end 120a from beneath the container. The operatorcan then raise the bar 24, thereby lowering the stop bar 24 on the opposite side of the trailer to permit removal of the container from that side of the trailer.

The front and rear stop bars 25 and 26 are mounted in the same manner on the deck. The mounting of the front stop bar 25 will be described. As seen in FIG. 7 the bar 25 is connected by two parallel levers and 136 to mounting members 137 of the deck. A latch 139 (FIG. 9) is pivotally mounted on a pin 140 that extends between two spaced flanges 142 depending from the bar. The latch is U-shaped and has two legs 139a and 13912. When the bar 25 is in the raised position of FIG. 9, the leg 13% is disposed between arms 143 and 144 of a trip member 145 that is mounted on the deck. Also, when the stop bar is in raised position the leg 139a overlies a lip on the container and limits excessive upward movement of the container during movement of the trailer. Further, when the bar is raised, the bar is in the path of movement of a container that is being moved off the front of the trailer and thus the bar and 1 the latch prevent this forward movement of the container. To retract the latch and lower the leg 139a and the bar 25, a lever 147 (FIG. 5) is provided at a rear comer of the trailer. The lever 147 is mounted in the same manner as the previously described lever 93 so that, when the operator grasps an associated handle I48 and swings it upwardly, the lever I47 pivots upwardly to exert a pull on a cable 149 which is trained along the side of the trailer over suitable guide pulleys I50 and which is connected at the end to a pin 151 that pivotally connects the mounting lever I36 to the bar 25. When the cable is pulled to the right (FIG. 5), the bar is swung downwardly, as levers 135 and 136 pivot clockwise. Referring to FIG. 9 it will be noted that downward movement of the bar 25 causes the latch leg 13% to engage arm 144 to pivot the latch clockwise to the phantom line position, permitting the container C to be moved off the front end of the trailer.

A spring 155 (FIG. 5) is connected between an arm 156 of the bar and a channel 157 of the deck which is disposed forwardly of the bar 25 and does not underlie it. The spring 155 resists downward movement of the bar 25 under the urging of cable 149 and, accordingly, when the operator releases the handle 148, the spring 155 raises the bar to its container-impeding position.

It will be noted in FIG. 9 that, when the bar is moved upwardly, the leg 139b of the latch engages the arm 143 and causes the latch to swing counterclockwise to position leg 139a for restricting upward movement of a container on the trailer.

As previously mentioned, he rear stop bar 26 is mounted in the same manner of the front stop bar 25 and includes a latch 139 that overlies the bar, mounting levers 135 and 136, an elevating spring 155, a cable 149', and a lever 147 that is actuated through a handle 148'.

Although the best mode contemplated for carrying out the present invention has been herein shown and described, it will be apparent that modification and variation may be made without departing from what is regarded to be the subject matter of the invention.

, What is claimed is:

1. A trailer comprising a mobile base; a cargo support deck mounted for rotation on said base; antifriction means mounted adjacent the two side edges and the two ends of said deck to support cargo being moved toward or away from the center of said deck; a turntable operatively connected between said deck and said base and mounting said deck for rotation relative to said base; and a stop member adjacent each side of said deck and adjacent each end of said deck to obstruct movement of a container toward or away from the center of said deck; said stop members being comprised of two sets of obstructing bars, with a bar of one set being on one side of the deck opposite to another bar of the same set on the other side of the deck, and with the bars of the other set being at opposite ends of the deck; the bars of one set being interconnected by a lever mechanism whose pivot is intermediate the bars and said bars being positioned so that each bar has a portion extending above the level of said deck to prevent movement of a container past the bar, whereby upward movement of one bar of said set incident to pivoting of said lever mechanism lowers the other bar to a point completely below the level of said deck to permit movement of a container over the lower bar.

2. A trailer according to claim 1 including an abutment member connected to said one bar and underlying a container on said deck to prevent upward movement of said one bar when the container is in position, and an actuator for removing said abutment prior to raising said one bar.

3. A trailer according to claim 2 wherein said deck includes a lift handle adjacent said one bar and said actuator is positioned adjacent said handle whereby an operator can simultaneously grip said handle and said actuator and operate said actuator just prior to exerting a lifting force on said handle.

4. A trailer comprising a mobile base; a cargo support deck mounted for rotation on said base; antifriction means mounted adjacent the two side edges and the two ends of said deck to support cargo being moved toward or away from the center of said deck; a turntable operatively connected between said deck and said base and mounting said deck for rotation relative to said base; a stop member adjacent each side of said deck and adjacent each end of said deck to obstruct movement of a container toward or away from the center of said deck; said stop members being comprised of two sets of obstructing bars, with a bar of one set being on one side of the deck opposite to another bar of the same set on the other side of the deck, and with the bars of the other set being at opposite ends of the deck; and a pair of spaced levers, each lever being pivoted at one end on said deck and at the other end of one bar of one set of bars, spring means for urging said bar to pivot on said levers to a raised position obstructing the movement of a container, and remote control means for lowering said bar against the resistance of said spring means.

5. A trailer according to claim 4 including a latch pivoted on said deck for movement from a first position overlying said bar to a second position out of the path of upward movement of said bar, downward movement of said bar being effective to pivot said latch to said second position and upward movement of said bar being effective to move said latch to said second position. v

6. In combination. means defining a surface for supporting articles, such as containers, and having spaced peripheral areas over which the articles are moved toward and from the surface, a stop member at each of said areas to obstruct movement of an article onto or off said surface, a lever mechanism interconnected said stop members, the fulcrum of said lever mechanism being located intermediate said members and said members being positioned so that a portion of each member extends above the level of said surface to prevent movement of an article past the member, whereby upward movement of one member incident to pivoting of said lever mechanism lowers the other member to a point completely below the level of said surface to permit movement of an article over the lowered member. 

1. A trailer comprising a mobile base; a cargo support deck mounted for rotation on said base; antifriction means mounted adjacent the two side edges and the two ends of said deck to support cargo being moved toward or away from the center of said deck; a turntable operatively connected between said deck and said base and mounting said deck for rotation relative to said base; and a stop member adjacent each side of said deck and adjacent each end of said deck to obstruct movement of a container toward or away from the center of said deck; said stop members being comprised of two sets of obstructing bars, with a bar of one set being on one side of the deck opposite to another bar of the same set on the other side of the deck, and with the bars of the other set being at opposite ends of the deck; the bars of one set being interconnected by a lever mechanism whose pivot is intermediate the bars and said bars being positioned so that each bar has a portion extending above the level of said deck to prevent movement of a container past the bar, whereby upward movement of one bar of said set incident to pivoting of said lever mechanism lowers the other bar to a point completely below the level of said deck to permit movement of a container over the lower bar.
 2. A trailer according to claim 1 including an abutment member connected to said one bar and underlying a container on said deck to prevent upward movement of said one bar when the container is in position, and an actuator for removing said abutment prior to raising said one bar.
 3. A trailer according to claim 2 wherein said deck includes a lift handle adjacent said one bar and said actuator is positioned adjacent said handle whereby an operator can simultaneously grip said handle and said actuator and operate said actuator just prior to exerting a lifting force on said handle.
 4. A trailer comprising a mobile base; a cargo support deck mounted for rotation on said base; antifriction means mounted adjacent the two side edges and the two ends of said deck to support cargo being moved toward or away from the center of said deck; a turntable operatively connected between said deck and said base and mounting said deck for rotation relative to said base; a stop member adjacent each side of said deck and adjacent each end of said deck to obstruct movement of a container toward or away from the center of said deck; said stop members being comprised of two sets of obstructing bars, with a bar of one set being on one side of the deck opposite to another bar of the same set on the other side of the deck, and with the bars of the other set being at opposite ends of the deck; and a pair of spaced levers, each lever being pivoted at one end on said deck and at the other end of one bar of one set of bars, spring means for urging said bar to pivot on said levers to a raised position obstructing the movement of a container, and remote control means for lowering said bar against the resistance of said spring means.
 5. A Trailer according to claim 4 including a latch pivoted on said deck for movement from a first position overlying said bar to a second position out of the path of upward movement of said bar, downward movement of said bar being effective to pivot said latch to said second position and upward movement of said bar being effective to move said latch to said second position.
 6. In combination, means defining a surface for supporting articles, such as containers, and having spaced peripheral areas over which the articles are moved toward and from the surface, a stop member at each of said areas to obstruct movement of an article onto or off said surface, a lever mechanism interconnected said stop members, the fulcrum of said lever mechanism being located intermediate said members and said members being positioned so that a portion of each member extends above the level of said surface to prevent movement of an article past the member, whereby upward movement of one member incident to pivoting of said lever mechanism lowers the other member to a point completely below the level of said surface to permit movement of an article over the lowered member. 